Order of the War Banner
{{Expand Serbian|Орден ратне заставе|date=August 2022}}
{{infobox military award
| name = Order of the War Banner
| image = Orden ratne zastave.jpg
| caption = "{{lang-sh-Cyrl-Latn|За слободу и независност|socijalističke domovine|separator=" ★ "|label=none}}" ({{lit|For the freedom and independence of the socialist homeland}})
| presenter =
| country = {{YUG}}
{{flag|Serbia and Montenegro}}
| type = Order
| eligibility = Military commanders
| awarded_for = Personal courage, self-sacrifice, involvement in commanding and distinct role in creation, fixing and training of Armed Forces of SFRY during the war
| campaign =
| status = Dissolved
| description =
| motto =
| clasps =
| post-nominals =
| established = 29 December 1951
| firstawarded = 1954
| lastawarded =
| total_awarded = 209
| total_awarded_posthumously =
| total_recipients =
| precedence_label =
| individual =
| higher = Order of the People's Liberation (1951-1992)
Order of the Yugoslav Flag (1998-2006)
| same =
| lower = Order of the Yugoslav Flag (1951-1992)
Order of Merits of FR Yugoslavia (1998-2006)
| related =
| image2 = Order of the Battle flag Rib.png
| caption2 =
}}
The Order of the War Banner ({{langx|sh|Orden ratne zastave}} / {{lang|sh-Cyrl|Орден ратне заставе}}, {{langx|mk|Орден на военото знаме}}, {{langx|sl|Red vojne zastave}}) was a military order of honor and the 7th highest state decoration of the both Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and Serbia and Montenegro (also known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). It was awarded to military commanders who show personal courage or self-sacrifice during the war.
History
The Order of the War Banner It was founded by the Presidency of People's Assembly on 29 December 1951, with one class. After that, a public competition for the design of the insignia was announced. The results of the competition were published in Politika on 27 August 1953, and the winner was Grigorij Samojlov, an architect from Belgrade. From its establishment in 1951 until 1984, there were 209 recipients of the order; 204 were Yugoslav citizens, and the remaining five were Soviet generals (who were all awarded in 1964).{{Cite book |url=https://www.arhiv-beograda.org/images/publikacije_elektronske_pdf/katalog%20ODLIKOVANJA%20IAB%20web.pdf |title=ОДЛИКОВАЊА из легата историјског архива Београда |publisher=Istorijski arhiv |year=2015 |isbn=978-86-80481-35-7 |location=Belgrade |language=sr}}
In 1998, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia adopted new Law on Decorations that kept most of the decorations of the Socialist Yugoslavia, with some additions.{{Cite journal |date=27 November 1998 |title=Одличја у духу традиције |url=http://istorijskenovine.unilib.rs/view/index.html#panel:pp|issue:UB_00064_19981127|page:3|query:%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%20%D1%98%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B5%20%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B5%20%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B4%D0%B5 |journal=Borba |volume=76 |issue=331 |pages=3}}{{Cite journal |date=5 December 1998 |title=Уведено и ордење југословенских великана |url=https://istorijskenovine.unilib.rs/view/index.html#panel:pp|issue:UB_00064_19981205|page:7|query:%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%20%D1%98%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5 |journal=Borba |volume=LXXVI |issue=339-340 |pages=7}} Order of the War Banner was kept, but now had three classes. The inscription on the badge was slightly altered, so now it read "За слободу и независност отаџбине" (For the freedom and independence of the motherland).{{Cite journal |date=8 May 2002 |title=Сјај ордена |url=https://istorijskenovine.unilib.rs/view/index.html#panel:pp|issue:UB_00064_20020508|page:9 |journal=Borba |pages=9}}
| class="wikitable" width="70%" align="center"
! colspan="3" |Ribbon bar (1951-1992) |
| colspan="3" align="center" valign="center" width="20%" |85x85px Order of the War Banner (single class) |
| colspan="3" |Ribbon bars (1998-2006) |
|---|
| align="center" valign="center"|85x85px Order of the War Banner, 1st class | align="center" valign="center"|85x85px | align="center" valign="center"|85x85px |
Recipients
= Socialist Yugoslavia =
= Federal Republic of Yugoslavia =
- Vladimir Lazarević (1st class){{Cite journal |date=28 April 1999 |title=Народ је највећи херој |url=https://istorijskenovine.unilib.rs/view/index.html#panel:pp|issue:UB_00064_19990428|page:1 |journal=Borba |pages=1}}{{Cite journal |date=6 April 1999 |title=Одликовања за јунаке |url=https://istorijskenovine.unilib.rs/view/index.html#panel:pp|issue:UB_00064_19990406|page:1 |journal=Borba |pages=1}}
- Guards Brigade (1st class){{Cite journal |date=8 May 2000 |title=За јунаштво у отпору НАТО агресији |url=https://istorijskenovine.unilib.rs/view/index.html#panel:pp|issue:UB_00064_20000508|page:1 |journal=Borba |pages=1}}
- 72nd Brigade for Special Operations (1st class){{Cite journal |date=15 June 2000 |title=Predsednik Milošević unapredio i odlikovao veliki broj oficira |url=https://istorijskenovine.unilib.rs/view/index.html#panel:pp|issue:UB_00068_20000615|page:22|query:ratne%20zastave |journal=Danas |pages=22}}